TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Russia reported to have officially withdrew its garrison from Zmiinyi Island in Ukraine, known as Snake Island, on June 30, 2022. The island has been the target of repeated attacks by the Ukrainian military causing considerable casualties to Russian troops.
But, of course the Russian troops did not admit defeat on Snake Island. Instead, Moscow declared that its troops had completed the mission and that they were withdrawing out of generosity.
Ukraine’s Southern Operations Command, the Ukrainian Armed Forces responsible for the country’s southern front and Black Sea coastline, issued a different statement on Telegram. “The enemy has been rushing to evacuate the remaining members of his garrison using two speedboats and possibly leaving the island,” it read.
Whatever the reason, the troop withdrawal was a setback for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Snake Island–located in the Black Sea, just 30 miles from the Ukrainian coast–plays a strategic role to monitor, and if necessary intercept, Ukrainian ships, especially those carrying export commodities. Snake Island is also in a position to block Ukrainian aircraft from flying into the Black Sea region, especially those trying to evade Russian ground-to-air defenses.
Russia said it was showing the world community that the federal government was not interfering with UN efforts to manage a humanitarian corridor for the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian territory.
Russia conquers Snake Island with ease
Snake Island fell directly under Russian control at the start of its invasion last May. However, the Ukrainian marines continued to fight back. As part of that resistance, a month later, a number of Ukrainian anti-ship missiles allegedly hit a Russian warship, Moscowset him on fire, and could not be saved from drowning.
Russia set up its own garrison on the island and continues to come under pressure. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, thanked the developers of the automatic howitzer, the Bodogan. According to him, the weapon has played an important role in the liberation of Snake Island from Russian control.
The Bodogan is a 155 mm on-truck howitzer compatible with more advanced Western artillery armaments. “Thank you also foreign partners for the supply of crushing equipment,” Zaluzhniy.
A video shared by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Twitter shows the Bodogan being paired with Bayraktar TB-2 drones. The video is said to be from an attack carried out on June 21, 2022. After the first bomb fell in the sea, a live video from Bayraktar allowed the Ukrainian army to quickly correct its aim, landing a second bomb in the coastal area. The third bomb was clearly visible all the way to the heart of the island.
Ukraine has attacked Snake Island with warplanes and drone Bayraktar, but Russia’s installation of a surface-to-air missile system on the island is making Ukraine reconsider approaching the island. Meanwhile, no Ukrainian artillery was able to reach the distance to the island. Bodogan gives hope to Ukrainian troops because it is compatible with Western bullets and artillery technology.
Ukraine’s foreign partners to retake Snake Island
Zaluzhniy’s thanks to the ‘foreign partners’ are likely references to the long-range artillery mortars the West provided, or rocket technology support, to eventually reach their targets on Snake Island. Once the island was within artillery range, controlling it was no longer a more advantageous position. The island, which is only 79 square miles wide, does not provide space for Russian troops to escape a hail of bombs.
Ukraine has also received a Harpoon anti-ship missile from Denmark which can sink any ship that approaches the island. Ukrainian forces repeatedly used it to attack the island and its supply ships, causing heavy casualties believed to be among Russian troops.
According to Ukrainian military sources, Russia has lost among other things a command post, two 9K35 Strela-10 surface-to-air missile systems, four Raptor patrol boats, a Serna-class landing craft, and a Mi-8 helicopter for cargo and tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh.
POPULAR MECHANICS
–
